Crossing that threshold into your 50s is a little more significant for women, thanks to menopause, which can affect women in obvious and not-so-obvious ways.
For example, most women deal with hot flashes and night sweats during and after menopause, and there’s nothing subtle about these bursts of heat.
What might not be as obvious is the bone loss that women experience as they get older — 80% of the 10 million Americans with osteoporosis are women, and half of women will break a bone after the age of 50, thanks to bone loss.
As specialists in women’s health and menopause, the team at Women’s Wellness MD, under the expert direction of Dr. Chetanna Okasi, wants to share some great strategies to help women protect their bone health. Let’s take a look.
Let’s first review why women are on the shorter end of the stick when it comes to bone loss and osteoporosis.
First, bones in women are often thinner to begin with, so any age-related bone loss can be more impactful.
Second, women lose a good deal of their reproductive hormones as they pass through menopause. While these hormones primarily look after your reproductive and sexual health, they also play roles in other areas.
A great example of this is the role that estrogen plays in slowing the natural breakdown of your bones. So, when estrogen levels drop off during and after menopause, you lose this protective action, which explains why 20% of bone loss occurs in and around menopause.
Given what women are up against in terms of bone loss after menopause, being proactive can certainly save you from some serious health challenges, primarily in the form of broken bones.
To that end, our team strongly recommends a multi-pronged bone health improvement program that includes:
Since the loss of estrogen plays such a significant role in bone loss, it makes sense that replenishing these hormones helps to protect bones further. So, if you're worried about bone loss, we suggest starting hormone replacement therapy during your post-menopause years.
It’s helpful to track your bone loss. All too often, the first time a woman becomes aware of her bone loss is on the heels of a fracture.
Instead of being blindsided, we recommend undergoing bone density scans to determine your status and form a more specific bone protection plan moving forward.
The two nutrients directly associated with bone health are calcium and vitamin D, so it's critical to ensure you’re getting plenty of each. And dairy products and exposure to the sun are the two best strategies for increasing calcium and vitamin D, respectively.
We can’t say enough about the importance of strength training for women after the age of 50. Any resistance and/or weight-bearing training leads to tension on your bones, which signals your body to rebuild bone faster and stronger.
Another great way to encourage your body to build more bone is through basic physical activities, like running and jumping. So, add some foot-pounding into your exercise regimen.
Ultimately, the best way to determine a bone protection program is to sit down with Dr. Okasi to review your health and goals. To get started, contact us today by phone or online and book an appointment at one of our locations in Columbia or Greenbelt, Maryland.
